[Abridged] Presidential Histories podcast

#History #Presidential #United States #Government #Kenny and Ryan #President #The Americans #USA #US #Politics

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[Abridged] Presidential Histories

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From Yorktown to the Civil War, Pearl Harbor to 9/11, discover the pivotal moments that defined each president's life and legacy and the lessons we can draw from them. New episodes available the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month.

128 episodes

[Abridged] Presidential Histories

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updated 19 days ago

Series home•Feed

128 episodes

#History #Presidential #United States #Government #Kenny and Ryan #President #The Americans #USA #US #Politics

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8.A) Martin Van Buren, America's first politician, an interview with James Bradley 55:24

19 days ago55:24

55:24

Martin Van Buren is known as the "little magician." If he was a magician, he cast a powerful spell. The two party system he championed and helped establish has ruled the United States for two centuries and Democratic party he co-founded is the oldest American political party alive today. Historian and Journalist James Bradley , author of the new book Martin Van Buren: America's First Politician discusses how Martin Van Buren took over New York politics, and then American politics, to transform the American political system forever. Support the show…

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44.A) Obama's 08' Iowa campaign, an interview with Chelsea Waliser 41:23

8 weeks ago41:23

41:23

What's it like to be on the inside of a dark horse presidential campaign? Chelsea Waliser knows. Waliser was an Obama campaign regional field director during the lead up to first-in-the-nation 2008 Iowa Caucus. For nearly a year, she hired, trained, and organized volunteers for a candidate who was viewed by many as a long shot. What drove her to Obama? What's it like to spend a year of your life in Iowa? And how did Obama's campaign beat the odds? Tune in to find out. Support the show…

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44.) Barack Obama 2009-2017 50:06

10 weeks ago50:06

50:06

"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek." - Barack Obama, on the campaign trail, Feb. 5, 2008 Nothing was ever going to come easy to Barack Obama, and many thought he was crazy for trying, but belief himself was something Obama had in spades, and it lifted him to the presidency of the United States. Follow along as Barack Obama rises from a humble start as a community organizer in Chicago to crack into Illinois Democratic politics, transform his career with a 2004 national convention speech, and shock the political establishment by becoming the first African American President in U.S. history in 2009. His reward? Two foreign wars, an economy in free fall, and an opposition party committed to saying 'no!' at every turn. It was one of the most challenging hands any president has been given, and yet he overcame it to save the American economy and settle its foreign policy on stable ground. Bibliography 1. Obama: The Call of History - Peter Baker 2. Bush - Jean Edward Smith Support the show…

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43.A) An Afghan Story, an interview with Sahba Azami 38:35

13 weeks ago38:35

38:35

Sahba Azami was born an Afghan refugee. Today, she's an Afghan refugee once more. But, for nearly 20 years, she was not a refugee. She was simply an Afghan. And the future was bright. Brought back to the country of her parents' birth after the United States toppled the Taliban, Sahba joined a vanguard of young women who were going to make the most of the precious opportunity that had been denied every generation of Afghan women before them -- She pursued an education. Sahba graduated college. She graduated law school. She joined the Afghan president's administration. She was building a new country. But then the Taliban returned. It's an odd thing to realize: Sahba's life has almost certainly been more dramatically changed and changed again by the decisions of American presidents than my own, but it's a realization I can't shake. The decision of American presidents made it possible for Sahba to return to Afghanistan and pursue an education. The decisions of American presidents contributed to Afghanistan's collapse, separating her from her family, and making her a refugee in a faraway land. But still, she dreams. Today, she shares her story. Support the show…

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45.A) The rhetoric of Donald Trump, an interview with Jennifer Mercieca 50:23

14 weeks ago50:23

50:23

Donald Trump does not talk like a politician. But where some hear truth telling, and others hear something unhinged, professor Jennifer Mercieca hears a consistent rhetorical strategy designed to bind audiences to Trump and sever them from everyone else. A strategy good enough to win the presidency not just once, but twice. Communication professor Jennifer Mercieca, author of Demagogue for President: The Rhetorical Genius of Donald Trump , discusses the six techniques Trump uses to cast a spell on his audiences. Support the show…

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43.) George W Bush 2001-2009 59:22

16 weeks ago59:22

59:22

"I can hear you! The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." - George W Bush, World Trade Center Site, September 14, 2001 George W. Bush did not get the presidency he thought he would. He expected to be the tax, entitlement, and education reform guy. Not the war on terror guy. But the deadliest attack in World History will do that to you. Follow along as Bush rides a privileged upbringing to the Texas Governorship, wins the White House after the most controversial election of the past 150 years, then struggles with how to keep Americans safe in the years after 9/11 and how to stave off economic armageddon when the 2008 financial crisis sends the global economy into a free fall. Bibliography 1. Bush - Jean Edward Smith 2. Obama: The Call of History - Peter Baker 3. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush – Jon Meacham Support the show…

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42.A) Bill Clinton's Economic Legacy, an interview with Nelson Lichtenstein 59:17

19 weeks ago59:17

59:17

"It's the economy, stupid" - Clinton advisor James Carville, 1992. Bill Clinton left office with a 66% approval rating. This was in large part because 81% of Americans approved his handling of the economy - 71% said the 1999 was the best economy of their lifetimes (according to Gallup). But how much credit does a president really deserve for an economy? And how does Clinton's record on free trade, welfare reform, and deregulation hold up today? Labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein, author of A Fabulous Failure: The Clinton Presidency and the Transformation of American Capitalism, joins me to discuss the economic legacy of Bill Clinton. Support the show…

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42.) Bill Clinton 1:01:55

21 weeks ago1:01:55

1:01:55

“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.’” — Bill Clinton's inaugural address, Jan. 20, 1993. Bill Clinton has the highest end-of-term approval rating of any president in modern history - 66%. But that doesn't mean things came easy. It doesn't even mean he succeeded in what he set out to do! Follow along as Clinton rises from Arkansas poverty to become the youngest governor in the country and a dark horse presidential candidate on his way to the White House. Once there, he will contend with a revolution in opposition politics, a government shutdown, and the first presidential impeachment trial since 1868. And then, after all that, he'll try to resolve one of the world's most tragic intractable struggles - the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He won't succeed at that either, but damnit, he'll try. Bibliography 1. The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House - John Harris 2. Bill Clinton - Michael Tomasky 3. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush – Jon Meacham 4. Bush - Jean Edward Smith 5. His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life – Jonathan Alter Support the show…

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BONUS! 2024 Friendsgiving History Podcast Spectacular 1:01:05

23 weeks ago1:01:05

1:01:05

For the third consecutive year, four podcasters got together to record their annual Friendsgiving History Podcast Spectacular. Tune in as I'm joined by three fellow history podcasters and friends for a roundtable discussion on U.S. and presidential history. The other podcasters are: Howard Dorre, Plodding through the Presidents Jerry Landry, Presidencies of the United States Alycia, Civics & Coffee Happy Thanksgiving! Support the show…

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41.A) George Bush & the end of the Cold War, an interview with Jeff Engel 40:39

24 weeks ago40:39

40:39

George H.W. Bush presided over 4 of the most consequential years in world history. Before he entered office, a Cold War divided East and West: Democratic Capitalism vs Dictatorial Communism. After he left office, Democratic Capitalism had won. How did Bush usher in an age of American hegemony? And what role did he play in dramas ranging from the reunification of Germany to the independence of former soviet states like Russia and Ukraine? Jeffrey Engel , Director of SMU's Center for Presidential History and author of numerous books on George H.W. Bush, including When the World Seemed New: George H.W. Bush and the End of the Cold War , discusses how Bush kept the peace without sacrificing American idealism at a time of dangerous global change. Support the show…

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41.) George H.W. Bush 56:39

29 weeks ago56:39

56:39

“The Congress will push me to raise taxes, and I’ll say no, and they’ll push, and I’ll say no, and they’ll push again. And I’ll say to them: ‘Read my lips, no new taxes.’” — George Bush's GOP Nomination Acceptance speech, Aug. 18, 1988. "Poor George [Bush], he can't help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth." - Texas Governor Ann Richards at the 1988 Democratic National Convention . George H.W. Bush may have lived one of the most personally moving stories in all of presidential history. There's war. There's loss. There are great heights and great defeats. Through it all, Bush often appeared somewhat wooden. Unreachable. Unavailable. But beneath that was a man of deep emotions. Follow along as Bush fights in World War II, builds an oil empire in Texas, and rises through the ranks of GOP politics to the White House, where he contended with the end of the Cold War, the aggression of an Iraqi dictator, and an economic reckoning that threatened to be the undoing of his career. Bibliography 1. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush – Jon Meacham 2. When the World Seemed New: George H. W. Bush and the End of the Cold War - Jeffrey Engel 3. The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House - John Harris 4. Ronald Reagan: The life – H.W. Brands 5. Bush - Jean Edward Smith 6. Richard Nixon, the life – John A. Farrell 7. His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life – Jonathan Alter 8. Gerald Ford – Douglas Brinkley Support the show…

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40.A) Reaganomics and the anti-tax movement, an interview with Michael Graetz 55:30

32 weeks ago55:30

55:30

Americans have long had a complicated relationship with taxes. We don't like paying them, but we love the things they pay for. In the decades after World War II, both political parties agreed - taxes are worth it. Then came Ronald Reagan and the anti-tax movement. Michael Graetz, a Professor Emeritus of Law at Yale University and Columbia University and author of The Power to Destroy: How the Antitax Movement Hijacked America , discusses how an American consensus was shattered and a new era of low taxation and deficit spending was begun, and the impact that era will have on Americans today and tomorrow. Support the show…

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38.B) The History of the Pardon, an interview with Kimberly Wehle 35:51

34 weeks ago35:51

35:51

On September 8, 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned recently-resigned president Richard Nixon of any crimes he may have committed in the presidency, and the pardon has never been the same since. Law Professor Kimberly Wehle , author of the new book Pardon Power: How the Pardon System Works - and Why , discusses the origin and history of the presidential pardon and the danger its potential abuse poses to the future of democracy. If you'd like to read more from Kim, check out her Substack at https://kimwehle.substack.com/ Support the show…

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2.A) John Adams and the modern presidency, an interview with Lindsay Chervinsky 47:39

36 weeks ago47:39

47:39

Pandemics, political violence, partisans recognizable by the color of their hat - it may sound novel, but it's been with us practically since the beginning of the republic. Historian Lindsay Chervinsky , author of the new book Making the Presidency: John Adams and the Precedents That Forged the Republic , discusses the wildly volatile John Adams administration (1797-1801) and the lessons it offers as we face our own modern political moment. Support the show…

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40.) Ronald Reagan 1981-1989 1:02:41

38 weeks ago1:02:41

1:02:41

"Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem," - Ronald Reagan's inaugural address, January 20, 1981 . For the first 50 years after the onset of the Great Depression and the election of Franklin Roosevelt, the United States had been led by politicians who believed government held the power to make life better for the American people. Then came Ronald Reagan, one of the most talented political orators in American history. Follow along as Reagan rises from the great depression to realize his dreams in Hollywood, then takes his talents into politics, where he upends a half-century of big-government consensus and pivots the United States toward a small-government future. Bibliography 1. Ronald Reagan: The life – H.W. Brands 2. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush – Jon Meacham 3. His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life – Jonathan Alter 4. Gerald Ford – Douglas Brinkley 5. Richard Nixon, the life – John A. Farrell Support the show…

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39.B) Jimmy Carter, Stagflation, & Paul Volcker, an interview with Jennifer Burns 50:57

41 weeks ago50:57

50:57

When unemployment and inflation began to rise side by side in the 1970s, nobody knew what to do. Economic theory suggested it should have been impossible, and yet the numbers couldn't be denied. Stanford Historian Jennifer Burns , author of Milton Friedman: The Last Conservative , discusses how American presidents of the 70's tried and failed to curb stagflation, what led Carter to Paul Volcker, and how Volcker's medicine may have saved the economy, but doomed Carter's presidency in the process. Support the show…

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BONUS! The Hail Mary Effect in Presidential Politics, an interview with William Silber 48:57

43 weeks ago48:57

48:57

It's commonly accepted wisdom that presidents are less effective in their second terms, when the term limits of the 22nd amendment turn them into Lame Ducks who cannot be elected to office a third time. But what if that common wisdom is wrong? Former NYU economics professor William Silber , author of The Power of Nothing to Lose: The Hail Mary Effect in Politics, War and Business , argues that lame ducks only appear less effective because, with nothing left to lose, they pursue goals that are more ambitious and more difficult. And nothing-to-lose, gamble-it-all-on-the-win behavior can also be seen in presidential campaigns when candidates trail badly in the polls or fear a defeat will end their careers. With two former presidents on the ballet this fall, Silber forecasts what to expect from the campaigns and potential administrations of the contendors. Support the show…

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39.A) Jimmy Carter, the outsider, an interview with Jonathan Alter 54:24

45 weeks ago54:24

54:24

When Jimmy Carter won the presidency, his Democratic party held a 61-37 majority in the Senate and a 292-143 majority in the House. Why then, with such a clear governing majority, were his relations with Congress so poor, and his agenda so challenged? Jonathan Alter , a long-time journalist and author of numerous books on the presidency, including His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life , discusses how Carter's outsider status and a healthy heaping of luck swept him to the presidency, but betrayed him in the White House. Support the show…

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39.) Jimmy Carter 1977-1981 1:01:04

47 weeks ago1:01:04

1:01:04

"The erosion of confidence in the future is threatening to destroy the social and political fabric of the nation," - Jimmy Carter, July 15, 1979 ~~~ Jimmy Carter may have been the luckiest presidential candidate and unluckiest president in American history. Chasing the presidency after Watergate and the pardon of Nixon had crushed American faith in its leaders, Carter's outsider message was the right note at the right time. But once in office, a combination of economic headwinds and international disasters doomed his administration. From Plains, Georgia, to the White House and back, follow along as Carter navigates southern politics and national disenchantment to try and set the nation on a path for the future. Bibliography 1. His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life – Jonathan Alter 2. Gerald Ford – Douglas Brinkley 3. Ronald Reagan: The life – H.W. Brands 4. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush – Jon Meacham 5. The Survivor: Bill Clinton in the White House – John F. Harris Support the show…

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37.C) Nixon v The Supreme Court, an interview with Michael Bobelian 1:00:59

49 weeks ago1:00:59

1:00:59

From 1953 to 1969, the Supreme Court was a vanguard of progressive change for the United States. But then came Tricky Dick. Michael Bobelian , author of Battle For The Marble Palace: Abe Fortas, Lyndon Johnson, Earl Warren, Richard Nixon and the Forging of the Modern Supreme Court , discusses how presidential candidate Richard Nixon and senate conservatives blocked LBJ's efforts to cement a progressive court for years to come and, in 3 short years, transformed the once liberal bastion into a conservative bulwark, forever changing how justices are nominated and confirmed in the United States. Support the show…

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38.A) Gerald Ford in the Maelstrom, an interview with Brooke Clement 38:13

51 weeks ago38:13

38:13

A 24-year career in Congress crested at a tumultuous time for Gerald Ford. He was the GOP leader of the house during the Nixon administration, then Nixon's VP, then the president who had to heal the country after Watergate. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum director Brook Clement discusses the crucible Ford walked as a national leader. Support the show…

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38.) Gerald Ford 1974-1977 48:40

1 year ago48:40

48:40

"Our long national nightmare is over." - Gerald Ford, August 9, 1974 ~~~ Gerald Ford is the only person in American history to reach the vice presidency and the presidency without being elected to either. Despite this, he was a popular president - for 1 month. But then he pardoned Nixon, and it was all downhill from there. Follow along as Ford rides his athletic gifts from Grand Rapids to The University of Michigan and eventually Yale, serves his country in World War 2, then embarks on a quest to become Speaker of the House, only to discover the presidency instead. Once there, he'll grapple with the legacy of Watergate, and a bedeviling rise in unemployment and inflation that threatened to send the country's economy over the cliff. Bibliography 1. Gerald Ford – Douglas Brinkley 2. Richard Nixon: The Life – John Farrell 3. Ronald Reagan: The life – H.W. Brands 4. The Vietnam War – Ken Burns (documentary) 5. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush – Jon Meacham 6. Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream – Doris Kearns Goodwin 7. Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency – Mark K Updegrove 8. His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life – Jonathan Alter Support the show…

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37.B) The campaigns of Richard Nixon, an interview with John Farrell 46:17

1 year ago46:17

46:17

It didn't take long for Richard Nixon to earn the nickname "Tricky Dick," but was he really any more tricky than the typical politician? You bet he was! John Farrell , a long-time journalist and author of numerous books on political leaders, including Richard Nixon, The Life , discusses the many campaigns of Richard Nixon, from the red scare tactics that swept him to office, to the southern strategy that changed America's political map forever. Support the show…

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37.A) Nixon's Domestic Agenda, an interview with Luke Nichter 55:40

1 year ago55:40

55:40

Richard Nixon was sworn in as President with a Democratic House and Senate across Capitol Hill, which you might expect to lead to legislative impasse. Instead, it was one of the more prolific legislative stretches in American history, including such accomplishments as: Lowering the voting age, Title IX, creating the EPA, the Clean Air Act, abolishing the draft, and more. But were all of these laws passed because of Richard Nixon, or despite him? Historian Luke Nichter , a Chapman University professor who operates nixontapes.org , explores how Nixon and the Democratic Congress came together to pass so much meaningful change. Support the show…

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37.) Richard Nixon 1969-1974 1:00:58

1 year ago1:00:58

1:00:58

"People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook . Well, I'm not a crook." - Richard Nixon, November 17, 1973 ~~~ Richard Nixon's life is a drama unlike any other. A desire to win at any cost earned him the name "Tricky Dick" and carried him from Whittier, California, to the Presidency of the United States, but it also proved his undoing. From Alger Hiss to Checkers, the Chenault Affair, "Nixon goes to China," and Watergate, we will dive into the remarkable rise and fall of the only American to resign the presidency, Richard Milhouse Nixon. Bibliography 1. Richard Nixon: The Life – John Farrell 2. The Vietnam War – Ken Burns (documentary) 3. Gerald Ford – Douglas Brinkley 4. Eisenhower in War and Peace – Jean Edward Smith 5. Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush – Jon Meacham 6. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917–1963 – Robert Dallek 7. Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream – Doris Kearns Goodwin 8. Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency – Mark K Updegrove Support the show…

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16.F.) How Lincoln changed American immigration, an interview with Harold Holzer 1:01:11

1 year ago1:01:11

1:01:11

Migrating to the United States used to be as easy as buying a boat ticket. Getting settled was the hard part, and it became far more daunting when the United States was torn asunder by Civil War in 1861. As more and more northerners were conscripted into the Union Army, Lincoln realized a friendlier immigration policy might be the key to sustaining economic and military strength through the long years of war. Harold Holzer, director of the Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in New York City and Chairman of the Lincoln Forum, discusses his new book Brought Forth on this Continent Abraham Lincoln and American Immigration, which delves into the role immigration played in killing the Whig party, building the republican party, and how Lincoln's views toward immigration changed during through his career and into the Civil War, when he attempted one of the first major overhauls of the American immigration system in U.S. history. Support the show…

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36.B) LBJ's Great Society, an interview with Mark Updegrove 46:31

1 year ago46:31

46:31

Lyndon Baines Johnson is one of the most legislatively accomplished presidents in American history - possibly the only president who actually did so much winning, people got tired of it. But how did he make legislating look so easy? Mark Updegrove , president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation and author of 5 books on the presidency, including Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency , discusses the impact and legacy of LBJ's Great Society. Support the show…

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36.A) LBJ & Vietnam, an interview with Mark Lawrence 49:48

1 year ago49:48

49:48

Few presidents have a darker mark on their resume that LBJ's handling of the Vietnam war. Though overwhelmingly popular at first, the war divided the nation and broke Johnson's political power just 4 years later. How did the United States get into Vietnam? Why didn't LBJ see what the American people saw as public opinion turned against it? And what can we learn from Johnson's handling of the war in Vietnam? Mark Lawrence , director of the LBJ Presidential Library & Museum in Austin and author of The End of Ambition: The United States and the Third World in the Vietnam Era , discusses the legacy of LBJ's leadership of the Vietnam War. Support the show…

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36.) Lyndon Baines Johnson 1963-1969 1:02:43

1 year ago1:02:43

1:02:43

"There is no Negro problem. There is no Southern problem. There is no Northern problem. There is only an American problem." - Lyndon Baines Johnson, March 9, 1965 ~~~ Lyndon Baines Johnson was thrust into the presidency at a moment of tragedy - the public assassination of his predecessor. With the nation in panic, Congress in deadlock, and Civil Rights seemingly out of reach, the challenges were long, but Johnson used his mastery of the legislative process to overcome them. He may have gone down as one of the greats if not for the war that consumed his presidency, the war in Vietnam. Bibliography 1. Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream – Doris Kearns Goodwin 2. The Years of Lyndon Johnson and the Passage of Power – Robert Caro 3. Indomitable Will: LBJ in the Presidency – Mark K Updegrove 4. The Vietnam War – Ken Burns (documentary) 5. An Unfinished Life: John F. Kennedy, 1917–1963 – Robert Dallek 6. Richard Nixon: The Life – John Farrell 7. Eisenhower in War and Peace – Jean Edward Smith 8. Gerald Ford – Douglas Brinkley Support the show…

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35.C) JFK & The Press, an interview with Harold Holzer 52:11

1 year ago52:11